Aircraft



Nov. 8, 1927. 1,647,978

S. R; ANDERSON AIRCRAFT Original Filed April 16. 1923 5 Shget s-S heet 1Nov. 8, 1927. 1,647,978

S. R. ANDERSON AIRCRAFT Original Filed April 16, 1923 Saleem-sheet 2amwwboz Nov. 8, 1921. 1,647,978

5. R. ANDERSON AIRCRAFT Original Filed April 16, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 3wi bnwo Nov. 8, 1927.

5. R. ANDERSON AIRCRAFT Original Filed April 16, 1923 5 sheets-Sheet 4amp as o Nave 8, 19271 1,647,978

5. R. ANDERSON AIRCRAFT Original Filed April 16, 1925 5 Sh9 et s -Sheet, 5

Patented. Nova a, 1927. 1,6473? SAMUEL R. ANDERSON, OF ST. LOUIS,MISSOURI.

AIRCRAFT. Application. filed April 16, 1923, Serial No. 632,448. RenewedFebruary 12, 1926.

My invention relates to improvements in order that it shall notinterfere with proper aircraft and more particularly to heavieroperation of a plurality of weight sustainthan air machines which aresustained by ing propellers or helicopters 1 which are mean the th n gabags, mounted at the ends of the frame and spaced 5, It is'the primaryobject of my invention outwardly from the sides of the fuselage 1. 60 toprovide an aircraft embodying weight sus- Between the weight sustainingpropellers 4- taining propelling means and an air motor and thefuselage, I locate a pair of longior a plurality of such motors fordriving tudinal open-ended air tunnels 5 and I proaid weight taining man vide propellers 6 at the front ends of these A further object is toassociate each air tunnels, for forcing strong blasts of air motor witha longitudinal tunnel and to prO- 'wg Air m IS 7 ,Of any desired vide amotor driven propeller for directing type are associated with thetunnels 5 in a blast of air through said tunnel for the such a manner asto be driven by the air purpose of efficiently operating the air blaststhrough said tunnels and I employ the 1: t r, movement of these motors7, for the purpose Another object is to provide additional of operatingthe weight sustaining propropelling means which may be driven eitherpellers 4 and another propeller yet to be deforwardly or reversely,whereby to assist in scrlbed. In the construction shown, the propellingthe machine forwardly or to shafts 8 of the air motors 7 extend trans-20 create a drag which will bring the maversely across the tunnels 5 andhave their chine to a standstill, with regard to forward outer endsconnected by appropriate gearing travel and will permit it to eithermove up- 1n casings 9, to the lower ends of the vertical wardly ordownwardly, as occasion may reshafts 10 of the propellers 4.Longitudinal quir shafts 11 which may well be locatedwithin With theforegoing in view, the invention, the fuselage are connected by suitablegearresides in the novel subject matter hereining 12 with the inner endsof the shafts 8 after described and claimed, the description and therearmost of these shafts 8 are conheing supplemented by the accompanyingnectcd by a transverse shaft 13 .which is drawings. shown extendingacross the rear end of the as Figure 1 is a top lan view of an aircraftfuselage. By appropriate gearing, the shaft 5 constructed in accor ancewith my invention, 13 drives a longitudinal propeller shaft 15 the planewhich assists in supporting the whlch contains an appropriate clutch andmachine, being omitted. reverse mechanism 16. The shaft 15 extendsFigure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional r rwardly beyond thefuselage and is sup View as indicated by li gflg f Fi 1, ported by anextension 11 of the mam frame Figures 3 and are vertical transversestructure, said shaft being PIGVldBd With it sectional views as,indicated by lines 3--3 and propeller 18 within the frame extension 17.4,4 f Fi 1,, This propeller 18 is preferably of such a Figure 5 ishorizontal sectional view size that it can counterbalance or nullify thetaken substantially on the plane of the line action of the twopropellers 6, for a purpose 5-5 of Fig. l. to appear. These last namedpropellers are 53 11 is a detail Side elflvfilllon gnawing ositivelydriven by suitable shafting and red form of propeller, gearing from amotor 19 winch may 0, lo-

Figure l is a detail side elevation illusrated at any desired point. asm ti a difi re; m f i t f Edythe construction described, it will be th tspawn i seen that the propellers 6 will create strong Fignre 8 is a;ional view as indicated blasts of air through the tunnels 5 and thatlay line d---@ of 7. these blasts will rotate the air motors 7, in thedrawings above briefly described, thus causing rotation of thepropellers d 5% the numeral 1 designates a central fuselage to lift theweight of the machine while it carried by a suitable framestructure'QWhich is being drawn forwardly under the action is preferablyelongated transversely of said of said propellers 6. lf it is desired torise fuselage, as shown, said frame structure be vertically, thepropeller 18 ma 1 be thrown ing provided with a plane 3 which termiintoplay and rotated reversely from the mates short of its right and leftends. in propellers 6 to counteract the propelling 1 action of thelatter, the result being that be'seen that the machine may bemanipulated in any desired manner.

For vertically and horizontally steering the craft, I prefer to providean arrangement similar to that shown. A horizontal shaft 20 extends overthe fuselage l and across the rear ends of the tunnels 5, being providedwith any suitable means for turning it in either direction, a portion ofwhich moans is indicated at 21. At the rear of each tunnel 5, l haveshown the shaft 20 provided with. a pair of rudders 22 for steering themachine upwardly or downwardly. Betweenthese rudders, a vertical shaft25 ex tends across and is carried by the shaft 20, said shaft 25 havingappropriate rudders 26 to effect horizontal steering. One shaft 25 islocated at the rear end of each tunnel 5 and these shafts may beconnected by any preferred means such as that indicated at 27, forsimultaneously turning both of them in the required direction.

Each of the propellers is preferably of the form shown in Fig. 6, inwhich the numeral 28 designates a hub having integral pitched flanges 29to which a pair of pitched blades 30 are secured by rivets or the like31. These blades may be formed of very thin light metal and in order toprevent possible bending thereof, I prefer to connect them, by means ofdiverging brace wires or cables 32, to a collar 33 secured on thepropeller shaft.

When the air motors 7 are of the form shown in most of the views, or ofthe bucket type illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, it is necessary that onlyabout one-half of their circumference shall be exposed in the tunnels 5.Hence, these tunnels are provided with lateral offsets 39 receiving theremainder of,

said motors.

By cmployingthc construction shown or a substantial equivalent thereof,an aircraft is provided which will be very desirable in a number ofways, particular attention being directed to the fact that the airmotors '7, regardless of the form. which they may assume, will drive theweight sustaining propellers 4 and if desired, the propeller 18, whetherthe machine is being driven under power or merely drifting or gliding.It

will be seen that when gliding at high speed,-

the blasts of air passing through the tunnels 5 will be sufficient toperform the deverse gear for said additional eavers 1.1An aircrafthaving a motor driven propeller, weight sustaining means for themachine, means for driving said weight sustaining means including an airmotor behind said ropeller and driven by the air blast there rom, anadditional propeller for the craft, and means driven by said air mo- 1tor for driving sald second propeller in either directio 2. An aircrafthaving a longitudinal air tunnel, a motor driven propeller for directinga blast of air through said tunnel, an air motor driven by the blast ofair through said tunnel, weight sustaining means for the craft driven bysaid airmotor, anadditional (ill propeller for the craft, andmeans fordriving said additional propeller in either direction from said airmotor.

3. An aircraft comprising a fuselage, a pair of longitudinal tunnelsdisposed. one at each side of said fuselage, weight sustainingpropellers at opposite sides of said fuselage, a pair of motor drivenpropellers for creating rearward blasts of air through said tunnels,additional propelling means independent of said tunnels,- air motorsassociated with said tunnels and driven by the blasts of airtherethrough, and driving means connecting said weight sustainingpropellers and said additional propelling means with said air motors,including a repropelling means.

4:. An aircraft having a motor driven propeller, Weight sustaining meansfor the ma chine, and means for driving said weight sustaining meansincluding an air motor behind said propeller driven'by the blast of airtherefrom.

5. An aircraft having a longitudinal air tunncl, a motor drivenpropeller for creating a blast of air through said tunnel, weightsustaining means for the machine, and drivng means for saidweight'sustaining means including an air motor driven by the blast ofair through said tunnel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

SA EL R. ANDERSON.

